Queens of Egypt at Monaco's Grimaldi Forum

Visitors to the Queens of Egypt exhibition, in Monaco, are plunged into 3,000 years of the country's history in this lavish, $4.2m show. The focus falls on the three star acts - Cleopatra, Nefertiti, Hatshepsut - but the show also looks at the role of Egypt's ancient queens as mothers, priestesses and powerful politicians. Take a sneak peek around the show ...

Thursday 28 August 2008 08.32 EDT

The exhibition brings together ancient images and modern views of the Egyptian queens

Cleopatra VII Philopator. For the modern era, she is the definitive Egyptian queen, although she was descended from the Macedonians who ruled Egypt from the time of Alexander the Great. Black basalt, 146 cm tall. Ptolemaic era, 1st century BC

Head of Queen Hatshepsut as the god Osiris, the redeemer and merciful judge of the dead. Limestone, height 46cm, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Hatshepsut. Origin: west bank, Deir-el-Bahari, Senenmut's quarry

Photograph: The Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt/Grimaldi Forum

A canopic jar of Manuwai. The name is Semitic and she may have been one of the pharoah's minor wives. Limestone, blue paste, height 32cm. Egyptian, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Thutmose III (c1479-1425 BC) From Thebes, Wadi Gabbanat el-Qurud

Statue of Queen Tiy. Her mother, Thuya, was a commoner, but bore many titles, including Singer of Hathor and Chief of the Entertainers. Black granite , height 190cm, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Amenhotep III. Origin: east bank, Karnak, Mut zone, temple of Mut

Photograph: The Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt/Grimaldi Forum